Mail-bag catcher



J. C. GAIN, Jn. `MA|L BAG CATCHER. APPLICATION man Aus.27, 192|.

Patented Nov. 21, 1922.

Patented Nov. 2l, l922. naar ra earner JOSEPH C. GAIN, JR., OF FORD, KENTUCKY.

MAIL-BAG CATCHER.

Application filed Augustvf', 1921. Serial No, 495,949.

To all 'whom it may concern.: they are comprehended within the scope ot Be it known that I, JOSEPH C. GAIN, Jr., what is claimed. citizen ot the United States, residing at The invention comprises further features Ford, in the county ot Clark and State ot and combination of parts, as will be herein- Kentucky, have invented certain new and after set forth, shown in the drawings and GO useful Improvements in Mail-Bag Catchers, claimed.

ot which the following isa specification, ret- In the drawings erence being had to the accompanying draw- Figure 1 is a view in perspective showing lng-S the mail catcher as applied to a door open- It has been found that when a train is ing of a mail car, showing tie mail catcher 65 slowing down to make a stop at a station, the in a position ready to receive the mail bag; mail bag very often slides off the old form Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view on ot hook carried by a mail car, necessitating line 2 2 ot Figure 1, showing the relative the station master picking the bag up and proportions of the mail catcher, so that it l5 throwing it in the mail car, that is it the may be swung through the door opening; 70 station master is not very busy. Occasion Figure 3 is a sectional view on line 3-3 ally the mail bag or sack slides or drops oli ot Figure 2; and the hook when the train is passing by the Figure 4 is an enlarged detail view of one station, and in this case the mail will have arm of the lever 30, showing its ball bearto lay over until the next train, causing lne; roller 31. 75 Several hourS delay Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a The present invention has 'for its purpose portion ot' the mail car provided with a door to provide a mail bag catcher, which is simopening 2, and `iournaled in bearings of ple, efficient and practical in construction, plates 3 (which is secured to the ambs ci the and especially adapted for overcoming the ClOOr opening) are the reduced ends lot' a 8O mail bag sliding or dropping from the transverse rotatable or rocking rod 5. This Catcher, rod Carries the right angle extending arm With this end in view, another purpose is @,which is lixed as at 7, by brazing or otherto provide a mail bag Catcher, wherein n pair wise to the rod 5, and is adapted to carry the of clamping jaws is provided one being mail catcher. This arm 6 may be otherwise S5 automatically actuated by the act of a mail fastened on the rod, there being a suitable bag contacting with hinge connectors of the brace 8 which is connected at 9 in any suit- Clamps, permitting one 0f the Clamps' t0 be able manner to the arm, and brazed or othdrawn toward the other, clamped by means erwise connected at 10 to the rod, so as to ot spring means, thereby clamping the mail reinforce the arm, whereby it may withstand 90 bag securely between the two jaws. the force of the mail bag or sack engaging Still another purpose is the provision ot the mail catcher. means manually actuated for opening the The .mail catcher comprises stationary and spring tensioned movable clamping jaw, so movable clamping jaws 1l and 12, the forthat the hinge links will automatically open mer being fixed at 13 to the arm 6, and re- 95 and hold the spring tensioned clamping jaw initorced by the braces 14, which are disopen, whereby the mail catcher can be opposed angularly relatively to the arm 6 and erated for the next mail bag or sack. the stationary clamping j aw 11. The mov- A further purpose is the provision of able jaw 12 is hingedly connected at 15 to means for reinforcing the stationary jaw, the arm 6, and when opened, it is designed 100 and mounting the mail catcher on the usual to assume an acute angle relatively to the transverse ro'd mounted in the opposite sides jaw 11. of a door opening of the mail car. The two jaws are provided with slots 1G While the design and construction at vpresand 17 in which the links 18 and 19 are pivent illustrated and set forth are deemed prefoted as at 20. The links 18 and 19 are in 105 erable, it isobvious that as a result of a return pivotally united as at 21, there being duction of the invention to amore practical abutting shoulders 22 adjacent the pivot 21, form for commercial purposes, the invento prevent the links 18 and 19 from pivot* tion may be susceptible of changes, and the ally collapsing in the direction of the arrow right to these changes is claimed, provided a. However the links 18 and 19 are capah 110 A CI! i the stationary clamping jaw and3 ble of pivotally collapsing in the opposite direction, particularly when a mail bag cornes in Contact therewith, so that the Inovable clamping jaw may collapse toward the stationary clamping jaw, thereby permitting the mail bag to be clamped between the two aws. lhen the movable clamping jaw moves toward the stationary clamping jaw, the slots permit the links to substantially completely collapse, so that the movable clamping jaw may move to a closed position relatively to the stationary clamping jaw. v

A pair of elongated bolts 23 engao'e through are pro vided with nuts 24, on the opposite sides of the jaw to hold the bolts 23 rigid relatively tothe stationary jaw. These bolts 23 op-` erate through the elongated opening 25 in the movable clamping jaw, there being coil springs 26 interposed between the outer face of the movable clamping jaw and nuts 27 on the ends of the bolts 23, so as to operate the movable clamping jaw toward the stationary clamping jaw, when the links 18 and 19 come in contact with the mail bag or sack, usually suspended from the conventional `form of mail `crane yon the side of the track. The bolts 23 are provided for the purpose of guiding the movable clamping jaw toward and from the stationary clamping jaw, and acting to hold the jaw 12 in position relatively to the stationary jaw 11, and particularly to withstand the strain. Furthermore the bolts 23 act to support the coil springs.

The stationary jaw 11 has a slot 28, in which as at 29 an angle lever 30 is pivoted. One arm of the lever carries a ball bea-ring mounted roller 31, which is designed to engage the movable clamping jaw 12, for the purpose of opening the same, to set it, whereby the links 18 and 19 are held in alignment, so as to be engaged by the mail bag. A coil spring 32 connects the other arm of the lever 3() and the arm @,and acts to restore the lever 30 to its initial position, for opening the movable j aw 12.

lt will be noted that when the mail car is approaching the mail crane at the station with the mail bag supported thereon, the railway mail clerk in the mail car moves the arm 6 outwardly at right angles to the door opening, positioning the mail catcher laterally of the car. However before disposing` the mail catcher in this position the movable clamping jaw is opened, by actuating Vthe lever 30 in the direction of the arrow u5, in which case the ball bearing mounted roller 31 will engage and slide upon the jaw 12, and dispose it in an acute angle relatively to the stationary jaw 11, in which case the links 18 and 19 will assume the position shown in Figure 1. v However the j aw 12 is opened by actuating the lever 30, the spring k32 will act to restore the lever 30 to its initial position. `When the mail bag contacts with the links 18 and 19, they will collapse in a direcn tion opposite the direction indicated by the arrow a, allowing the movable clamping jaw to move toward the stationary clamping jaw and clamp the mail bag or sack between the two jaws. Then the mail catcher may be swung downwardly, or upwardly toward and through the ydoor opening of the mail car, where the mail clerkmay remove the sack, and then restore the movable clamping jaw 12 of the mail catcher to its initial position ready to catch the next mail bag or sack.

lt is obvious that the mail catcher is made in such proportions anddisposed relatively f upon the arm G, so that when the arm 6 is moved and the shaft 5 rocked, the mail catcher may be swung inwardly of the door opening in order that t-he mail bag or sack may be detached.

Connected to the outer remote ends of the links 18 and 19 are springs 34, which in turn are connected at 35 to the outer faces of the jaws 1'1 and 12, in order to move the links to an open position, when the jaw 412 is opened. Also when the links 18 and 19 are open, theyl assume a slight obtuse angle, with the abutting shoulders 22 of the links positioned slightly forwardly beyond and out of alignment with the pivots 20, said springs 34 acting to hold said links in such positions. However as soon as the mail bag comes in contact with the links 18 and 19, the links are tilted rearwardly, allowing the j aw 12 to close and clamp the bag.

The invention having been set forth, what is claimed as being useful is:

1. 1n a mail bag catcher, a rocking support adapted for mounting in a horizontal position and connecting the opposite jambs of a door opening of a mail car, of an arm movable with said rod, stationary and pivoted clamping jaws carried by the arm, one extending in a plane parallel with the car, the other extending at an acute angle to the frame of .the car, a pair of parallel rods secured to the stationary jaw and engaging through the pivoted clamping jaw, coil springs mounted upon the extremities of said parallel rods, means for tensioning said springs, whereby the springs will actuate the pivoted clamping jaw to move it toward the stationary clamping jaw, the stationary and pivoted clamping jaws provided with slots, extensible and collapsible means pivot ed in said slots and connecting the station- `ary and pivoted jaws and adapted to hold the pivoted jaw open, whereby upon the mail bag contacting with saidextensible and collapsible means, the pivoted jaw may close toward the stationary jaw, thereby adapted to clamp a mail sack, springs connected to the remote ends of the eXtensible and collapsible means to hold' said means extended, and an angular spring tensioned lever'carried by the stationary jaw to open the pivoted clamping jaw.

2. In a mail bag cateher, the combination with a rocking rod adapted for detachable mounting' in a horizontal position between opposed supports, of an arm movable with said rocking rod, stationary and pivoted clamping jaws, the stationary jaw bein liXed to said arm in a plane parallel with the ear, the pivoted clamping jaw being mounted on the arm to assume an acute angle to the stationary jaw when open, spring-tensioned means connecting the two jaws to aetuate the pivoted clamping jaw toward the stationary clamping jaw, the clamping jaws having elongated slots, extensible and -collapsible members pivoted together and pivotally mounted in said slots and connecting said jaws, tensioned means connected to the remote ends of the extensible and eollapsible members and in turn connected to the j aws, the construction and arrangement of the pivotal connection between said inembers being such that together with the tensioned means, the pivoted jaw may be held open7 whereby upon engagement of a mail bag with said extensible and collapsible members, the pivoted clamping jaw will Close and grip a mail sack to the stationary jaw, and manually actuated means for opening the pivoted clamping jaw.

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiix my signature.

JOSEPH C. GAIN, JR. 

